Ah. How positively wonderful it feels to be sitting on this amazing mattress, under the world's greatest down comforter. Despite the fact that my comfterbility* factor has been sacrificed.
Jamie and I knocked out 12.6 yesterday. We ran from my house on 9th and Pleasant to the end of the Boulder Creek Path at CherryVale Road and Baseline and straight on 'til morning. Which in this case was the intersection of Baseline Road and Public Road in Lafayette. Let me tell ya, folks, this one was a doozy.
There are certain things that often come up when preparing for a run. Certain questions a person has to ask him/herself in order to be sure he/she is in the best possible condition to run for 2+ hours. Such as:
- Am I hydrated?
- Do I have a route planned?
- Am I wearing my elbow pads?
- Does my outfit correspond with current weather conditions?
- Is there a bathroom/rehydration area along the route?
To each of these questions, I responded with an enthusiastic "you betcha!" All of these, that is, with the exception of the last.
About half an hour into the run, I found myself sliding down a little hill into a kind of tiny ditch and over a chain-link fence. Who am I kidding? It was most definitely a moat. And not a fence at all! That was a fire-breathing dragon. I swiftly leap over the dragon and head straight towards the port-o-potty delux (I say "delux" because it was two port-o-potties in relatively decent condition, complete with a little outdoor water cooler and cup station).
As I exit the port-o-potty, I dash to the moat and quickly come to the painful realization that I have been attacked. I can feel the fire from that dragon directly on my bum. Yes sir, no mistakin' it. Right in the mother of all bee-sting targets; the epi-tomey** of a bulls-eye. My rump. So I do a little skip-to-my-loo and while I'm mid-air, I reach around the right side of my body and grab that sucker by the neck. Assuming, of course, that wasps have necks. I shriek and look to Jamie, helpless, a mere spectator of my mistery. And he jolts me back into action by reminding me that I might have landed on a nest. So I boogie right back over that dragon and hop across the moat and tackle the teeny hill. And I kept running.
Despite it being off to a bit of a rough start, this was a really pleasant run. I didn't fall into my rhythm until the second half, but from then on, it was smooth sailing. We were lucky with the weather, it was only about 80 degrees and overcast at 4:45 when we started running. I think my favorite part about these long runs with J is that every one feels like an adventure. And that is uplifting.
I cross-trained this morning before work with about 20 minutes of sprints and 30 minutes of strength exercises. So I'm feeling a little beat. But I foresee a goodnight's rest before a very long and busy week.
*My brother, Matt's brilliant terminanology for a rating system to evaluate a person's comfort level.
**My brother, Chris's very thorough pronounciation of a word which all of us fools must surely be pronouncing incorrectly.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Eggplant Lovata
Ok, ok. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I am a huge slacker and that I'm totally playing games with your heart. I didn't blog for a few days and you think I stood you up. But hold on to your britches because I'm here and I've got some really bodacious updates for you.
Well, "bodacious" might not be the best word. But maybe "cray-cray" is a better term. It means "crazy," for all you readers who aren't quite at street as yours truly.
Anyway....
I did, indeed slack off this weekend, beyond not blogging. I also skipped my three miler yesterday. But it's due to a strange sequence of events.
There is something in the air lately, and I'm not talkin' about all that reefer around BOCO, or about those pigs-in-blankets that my friend ReNoods keeps talking about either (woah mama!). I'm talking some crazy voodoo magic. An unusual case of bad luck versus good luck.
I can't give away a lot of deets, but I will say that the good luck definitely won.
Now, about my run today:
I ran a little over a five and a half mile trail run. I've done this loop on two other occasions. And both times, this trail seemed to get into my head and I ended up walking for a few minutes. So today, I went after this trail feeling slightly intimidated but also I had my game face on which looks like this (not for the faint of heart):
I know, it's scary.
Luckily, it was a cool evening and there was nobody else on the trail. Except those tiny bugs that like to fly into your eyeball. But I'm pretty sure they don't mind listening to you give yourself pep talks outloud. I think I'm becoming one of those dodgy people that you sometimes see on Pearl Street who tell you things like "I'm Jim Morrison and this is my guitar. It's signed by each of my personalities." And then proceed to play a terrible rendition of "Break on Through" while your incredibly lanky friend with dreads joins in, thereby verifying this person's clearly skewed image of himself.
The run was kind of tough only because I haven't run in three days (?!), and also because I had a bit of a complex about it. But I did finish it without walking once. And I do believe I beat both of my previous times. It is a lovely loop, around a tiny pond and up and over some plateaus...if you will. I thoroughly enjoyed this run as it allowed for a little peace of mind and self-assurance.
Tomorrow is a three, which I absolutely will run. Tomorrow is also Monday. Just F.Y.I.
Next comes Tuesday.
My eyes are droopy and my brain's a little soupy so I'm gonna make like a banana and...
Well, "bodacious" might not be the best word. But maybe "cray-cray" is a better term. It means "crazy," for all you readers who aren't quite at street as yours truly.
Anyway....
I did, indeed slack off this weekend, beyond not blogging. I also skipped my three miler yesterday. But it's due to a strange sequence of events.
There is something in the air lately, and I'm not talkin' about all that reefer around BOCO, or about those pigs-in-blankets that my friend ReNoods keeps talking about either (woah mama!). I'm talking some crazy voodoo magic. An unusual case of bad luck versus good luck.
I can't give away a lot of deets, but I will say that the good luck definitely won.
Now, about my run today:
I ran a little over a five and a half mile trail run. I've done this loop on two other occasions. And both times, this trail seemed to get into my head and I ended up walking for a few minutes. So today, I went after this trail feeling slightly intimidated but also I had my game face on which looks like this (not for the faint of heart):
I know, it's scary.
Luckily, it was a cool evening and there was nobody else on the trail. Except those tiny bugs that like to fly into your eyeball. But I'm pretty sure they don't mind listening to you give yourself pep talks outloud. I think I'm becoming one of those dodgy people that you sometimes see on Pearl Street who tell you things like "I'm Jim Morrison and this is my guitar. It's signed by each of my personalities." And then proceed to play a terrible rendition of "Break on Through" while your incredibly lanky friend with dreads joins in, thereby verifying this person's clearly skewed image of himself.
The run was kind of tough only because I haven't run in three days (?!), and also because I had a bit of a complex about it. But I did finish it without walking once. And I do believe I beat both of my previous times. It is a lovely loop, around a tiny pond and up and over some plateaus...if you will. I thoroughly enjoyed this run as it allowed for a little peace of mind and self-assurance.
Tomorrow is a three, which I absolutely will run. Tomorrow is also Monday. Just F.Y.I.
Next comes Tuesday.
My eyes are droopy and my brain's a little soupy so I'm gonna make like a banana and...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
"It's a dangerous business going out your door.
You step out onto the road and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." -Bilbo Baggins
It's 11:42 PM. I should be sleeping. But I am here, tippity tapping on my keyboard. Let me tell you why.
Coach Curran and I just had us a little adventure. We stared death in the face (there were lots of dead birds and gophers on the side of the road). We climbed mountains (a few baby hills that I imagine felt similar to what ET was going through during the times between little piles of Reese's Pieces). We fought off disease and malicious attacks by the area's wildlife ('skeetos. Those little mamba jambas got so much blood from us, I'm pretty sure we're related now). And finally, we fought pneumonia as we sucked down milkshakes (Mint brownie shake for J. Chocolate malt for moi).
That's right, dear reader. We ran eleven miles. No stopping. Just running. And guess what. It was completely and utterly fantastic. I might have over-exaggerated the battles that we fought along the way. But let's all be honest and acknowledge that eleven miles is a fair amount to run. Yes, I'm bragging.
Here's how we fueled up before. Jamie is the coach, but I am the nutritionalist. Although, I can't take credit for this concoction. No sir. This came from the genius sitting next to me who sometimes stirs coffee into his orange juice and has admitted to eating dog food. And liking it.
Ingredients for this inventive dish that actually was the perfect fuel for our run were:
- potato. microwave-baked.
- black beans. canned.
- guacamole. thanks for the left-overs, Ma.
- siracha. a little zing never hurt anybody.
- cheese. optional. we opted to skip it at the last minute.
So that's that. Do our knees hurt? Absolutely. Are our feet aching? You know it. Are we excited to move our bodies tomorrow? Not exactly. Will we do it again? You bet your sweet ass we will.
It's 11:42 PM. I should be sleeping. But I am here, tippity tapping on my keyboard. Let me tell you why.
Coach Curran and I just had us a little adventure. We stared death in the face (there were lots of dead birds and gophers on the side of the road). We climbed mountains (a few baby hills that I imagine felt similar to what ET was going through during the times between little piles of Reese's Pieces). We fought off disease and malicious attacks by the area's wildlife ('skeetos. Those little mamba jambas got so much blood from us, I'm pretty sure we're related now). And finally, we fought pneumonia as we sucked down milkshakes (Mint brownie shake for J. Chocolate malt for moi).
That's right, dear reader. We ran eleven miles. No stopping. Just running. And guess what. It was completely and utterly fantastic. I might have over-exaggerated the battles that we fought along the way. But let's all be honest and acknowledge that eleven miles is a fair amount to run. Yes, I'm bragging.
Here's how we fueled up before. Jamie is the coach, but I am the nutritionalist. Although, I can't take credit for this concoction. No sir. This came from the genius sitting next to me who sometimes stirs coffee into his orange juice and has admitted to eating dog food. And liking it.
Ingredients for this inventive dish that actually was the perfect fuel for our run were:
- potato. microwave-baked.
- black beans. canned.
- guacamole. thanks for the left-overs, Ma.
- siracha. a little zing never hurt anybody.
- cheese. optional. we opted to skip it at the last minute.
So that's that. Do our knees hurt? Absolutely. Are our feet aching? You know it. Are we excited to move our bodies tomorrow? Not exactly. Will we do it again? You bet your sweet ass we will.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
sleepy runs
After my last post, I was feeling motivated to get up early and knock out my runs before work on Sunday and Monday. Which was a brilliant decision. I ran a delightful six miler on Sunday when my training schedule only required a five. And I ran a snappy little three miler on Monday. And woah baby, this world is a sight to see at 5:00AM.
It was refreshingly cool (though still quite warm considering the early hour. I say refreshingly cool in comparison to the scorching 90 and 100 degree days we've been having 'round these parts). I ran the along the Boulder Creek path, heading west with a slight incline the whole way to the turn around. The sun was just coming up, the air still felt a little like nighttime, and there were no people! Don't get me wrong, I love me some people. I love them when they're eating ice cream, when they're mailing a letter, when they're brushing their teeth, and when they're blowing bubbles in their drink with a straw. I love them when they snore, when they sweep the floor, and when they open a door. But it's a lot to ask to love the entire human race at every second for everything that they do or don't do. So, forgive me if there are a few times when I don't treasure certain things that human beings do. And some of these things happen while on the creek path. And I'll leave it at that.
As a whole, these were some of my favorite runs. I saw a couple of deer on Sunday and I'm pretty sure if I wasn't so stealthy the dad deer would have eaten me for breakie. I ran without music because I could actually hear the running water from the creek since there were virtually no cars.
Tomorrow is a big day. Eleven miles. Coach suggested running from Boulder to Longmont. Seems like a good idea. I've made that drive countless times, I figure it's about time I run it.
It was refreshingly cool (though still quite warm considering the early hour. I say refreshingly cool in comparison to the scorching 90 and 100 degree days we've been having 'round these parts). I ran the along the Boulder Creek path, heading west with a slight incline the whole way to the turn around. The sun was just coming up, the air still felt a little like nighttime, and there were no people! Don't get me wrong, I love me some people. I love them when they're eating ice cream, when they're mailing a letter, when they're brushing their teeth, and when they're blowing bubbles in their drink with a straw. I love them when they snore, when they sweep the floor, and when they open a door. But it's a lot to ask to love the entire human race at every second for everything that they do or don't do. So, forgive me if there are a few times when I don't treasure certain things that human beings do. And some of these things happen while on the creek path. And I'll leave it at that.
As a whole, these were some of my favorite runs. I saw a couple of deer on Sunday and I'm pretty sure if I wasn't so stealthy the dad deer would have eaten me for breakie. I ran without music because I could actually hear the running water from the creek since there were virtually no cars.
Tomorrow is a big day. Eleven miles. Coach suggested running from Boulder to Longmont. Seems like a good idea. I've made that drive countless times, I figure it's about time I run it.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
100 Degrees
I have a new mattress. This means that getting up at 4:45 in the morning to go run before I go to work requires an incredible amount of will power. Which is why I slept in this morning (and by sleep in, I mean I woke up at 5:15AM, as per usual). Because besides it being difficult to get out of bed that early, it's also difficult to summon the aforementioned necessary will power to overcome the difficulty of getting out of bed at such an ungodly hour.
While at work, I heard rumors of it being "the hottest day ever!" and saw multiple people order espresso milkshakes and pink lemonades. Now, I'm no mathematical genius, but I was able put two and two together to figure out that I should have gotten my bones out of bed and run before work. Because for the rest of the day, I had to gulp quarts of water while simultaneously dreading seeing those quarts of water drip into my eyes later on. Did I mention the fact that I work in a kitchen that typically feels ten degrees hotter than whatever the temperature it is outside?
So now I'm not sure what's more challenging; fighting the sleep guy (what's his name? all the sudden I can't remember. There's a song...but I can't place it) and getting into gear before the sun comes up, or waiting until after work, watching the hours chug away while I sugar coat the world, only to step out at three or four and feel the ultraviolet rays poison my skin?
I was already halfway dressed for a run. I find this helps because there's no excuse to take your running shorts/shoes/elbow pads off if you didn't even run. So I ran. And it was hot. And here I sit, thinking that it wasn't actually that bad.
But it's days like these that make me really appreciate the change of season in this super duper state. Here's why:
-Running in pristine 60-degree-partly-sunny-but-with-nice-fluffly-clouds weather makes you feel like Mr. Rogers. That's right. It's just another day in the neighborhood. Kids are playing with their yo-yos and jacks, people are walking their toy poodles. The world is in perfect condition for you to break a little sweat.
-Running in the rain makes you feel like a total badass. There's all these sissies trotting around, trying to cover their hair with a newspaper or trying to avoid stepping into puddles with their gorgeous Uggs. And then there you are. Splishin' and splashin' right into those puddles with all you've got. And your clothes are sticking to you and your hair looks outrageous. And without even meaning to, you're making a mean, tough-guy face because you have to squint to avoid getting drippy-drops in your eyes. Plus, you don't get dehydrated so quickly, so you can run for a longer period of time and really take advantage of that badass feeling. Maybe run by your friends house and wave as you pass by while they are playing video games. Or run directly into the path of someone with an umbrella and stretch your right arm out for a big, hugh high five. Running in the rain is my absolute favorite kind of running so far.
- Running in the snow makes you feel like a lunatic. Everybody else is cuddled around a fireplace or sipping hot chocolate while they assemble a snuggly kitty themed jigsaw puzzle. But not you. You're out there in the wilderness. Who know's what's going to happen out there? There's slippery sidewalks, blinging glare from the sun shining on the crisp, white snow, and hidden obstacles beneath winter's blanket. You're completely bonkers! But you're loving every minute of it.
Mmm, I could really go for a smoothy or some fro-yo. You too?
While at work, I heard rumors of it being "the hottest day ever!" and saw multiple people order espresso milkshakes and pink lemonades. Now, I'm no mathematical genius, but I was able put two and two together to figure out that I should have gotten my bones out of bed and run before work. Because for the rest of the day, I had to gulp quarts of water while simultaneously dreading seeing those quarts of water drip into my eyes later on. Did I mention the fact that I work in a kitchen that typically feels ten degrees hotter than whatever the temperature it is outside?
So now I'm not sure what's more challenging; fighting the sleep guy (what's his name? all the sudden I can't remember. There's a song...but I can't place it) and getting into gear before the sun comes up, or waiting until after work, watching the hours chug away while I sugar coat the world, only to step out at three or four and feel the ultraviolet rays poison my skin?
I was already halfway dressed for a run. I find this helps because there's no excuse to take your running shorts/shoes/elbow pads off if you didn't even run. So I ran. And it was hot. And here I sit, thinking that it wasn't actually that bad.
But it's days like these that make me really appreciate the change of season in this super duper state. Here's why:
-Running in pristine 60-degree-partly-sunny-but-with-nice-fluffly-clouds weather makes you feel like Mr. Rogers. That's right. It's just another day in the neighborhood. Kids are playing with their yo-yos and jacks, people are walking their toy poodles. The world is in perfect condition for you to break a little sweat.
-Running in the rain makes you feel like a total badass. There's all these sissies trotting around, trying to cover their hair with a newspaper or trying to avoid stepping into puddles with their gorgeous Uggs. And then there you are. Splishin' and splashin' right into those puddles with all you've got. And your clothes are sticking to you and your hair looks outrageous. And without even meaning to, you're making a mean, tough-guy face because you have to squint to avoid getting drippy-drops in your eyes. Plus, you don't get dehydrated so quickly, so you can run for a longer period of time and really take advantage of that badass feeling. Maybe run by your friends house and wave as you pass by while they are playing video games. Or run directly into the path of someone with an umbrella and stretch your right arm out for a big, hugh high five. Running in the rain is my absolute favorite kind of running so far.
- Running in the snow makes you feel like a lunatic. Everybody else is cuddled around a fireplace or sipping hot chocolate while they assemble a snuggly kitty themed jigsaw puzzle. But not you. You're out there in the wilderness. Who know's what's going to happen out there? There's slippery sidewalks, blinging glare from the sun shining on the crisp, white snow, and hidden obstacles beneath winter's blanket. You're completely bonkers! But you're loving every minute of it.
Mmm, I could really go for a smoothy or some fro-yo. You too?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Don't stop 'til you get enough
At the end of my mid-day six miler, there was a moment.
It was a long uphill three miles and an easy downhill three miles...at least until the last quarter mile or so. I live in Boulder, where hills are unavoidable, especially if you live on top of one. And I live on top of one. So after virtually every run, unless I really plan it out, I end up climbing up a hill to get home. Which is actually preferable, because it really wears me out and I can rest assured knowing I worked my butt off. But every once in awhile, that hill stares me down like it's going to eat me for dinner. And today was like that.
Today, I began the long battle up 9th street. Depending on my mood, I either choose to take roads up that hill that will hide me from traffic and other people so I can struggle in peace, or I take 9th, which means I need the motivation of knowing that other people will see me if I quit. There's also a stop light on the way, and if you hit it at the wrong time you either have to bop in place so you don't loose momentum or you stop awkardly and just wait for the trusty walking man and then have to boost yourself back to turbo speed and find the last shred of power to make it up the hill. I caught the light at the wrong time. But I decided to embrace my inner renegade and just run through it when I knew there were no cars. And at this point my legs are jello. But then it happened....I hear that familiar beat that I can only associate with house-cleaning days when I was little. My mom blasting this particular album and that meant incredible things were being accomplished around the house. Michael Jackson's sparkling, buttery voice floats into my ears and I begin to smile. Smile! Ha! Halfway up this bully of a hill! I'm sure you're singing along with me now. Because, let's face it, you just can't fight it. And I know you're enjoying it just as much as I was. But try to imagine the absolute cosmic alighnment that must have occured. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." And I didn't stop 'til I got enough.
It was a long uphill three miles and an easy downhill three miles...at least until the last quarter mile or so. I live in Boulder, where hills are unavoidable, especially if you live on top of one. And I live on top of one. So after virtually every run, unless I really plan it out, I end up climbing up a hill to get home. Which is actually preferable, because it really wears me out and I can rest assured knowing I worked my butt off. But every once in awhile, that hill stares me down like it's going to eat me for dinner. And today was like that.
Today, I began the long battle up 9th street. Depending on my mood, I either choose to take roads up that hill that will hide me from traffic and other people so I can struggle in peace, or I take 9th, which means I need the motivation of knowing that other people will see me if I quit. There's also a stop light on the way, and if you hit it at the wrong time you either have to bop in place so you don't loose momentum or you stop awkardly and just wait for the trusty walking man and then have to boost yourself back to turbo speed and find the last shred of power to make it up the hill. I caught the light at the wrong time. But I decided to embrace my inner renegade and just run through it when I knew there were no cars. And at this point my legs are jello. But then it happened....I hear that familiar beat that I can only associate with house-cleaning days when I was little. My mom blasting this particular album and that meant incredible things were being accomplished around the house. Michael Jackson's sparkling, buttery voice floats into my ears and I begin to smile. Smile! Ha! Halfway up this bully of a hill! I'm sure you're singing along with me now. Because, let's face it, you just can't fight it. And I know you're enjoying it just as much as I was. But try to imagine the absolute cosmic alighnment that must have occured. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." And I didn't stop 'til I got enough.
July 15th - Easy 6 Miles
Hello worldwide web. Welcome to my first ever blog about preparing to run my first ever marathon!
I suppose I'm a bit late in starting this blog. I'm almost two weeks into a 4 month training program. So let me catch you up because I know you're waiting breathlessly...
Officially, training started on Monday, July 5th. Last week consisted of two three mile runs, one five mile run, one nine mile run and a cross-training day. Each week, I have two rest days. It is recommended that I run even on rest days, even if it's just a short two miler. Cross-training happens once a week, on Thursday, and those days are sort of like recess. You get to take a little break from doing the same thing over and over and over. Last week, I went for a bike ride and did a little strength training. Swimming also counts, so on really hot Thursdays perhaps I will do a couple bitchin' flips out of a tree right into the oh-so-chilly Boulder Creek.
The ultimate goal is to run the Marine Marathon in Washington D.C. on October 31st. All of this started because my boyfriend, Jamie, mentioned the fact that his Dad suggested running this race to celebrate the official end of Jamie's eight year obligation to the U.S. Marine Corps. Jamie asked if I was in, and after a split second of deep thought and consideration, I committed. So not only is Jamie an amazing source of inspiration to me, he is also my "coach." He sometimes jokes that he can be "Sergeant Curran" during those times when I need a little push on long runs. Those are the times when I deliver a swift kick to his shin to remind him that those jokes aren't funny to a girl who is huffing and puffing on some stinkin' trail in the blazing hot sun working towards mile five. (Just kidding. There is no kicking involved. A good old fashioned evil eye usually gets the point across.) Seriously though, Jamie is very encouraging and also very understanding of the fact that prior to this endeavor, I was most definitely not a runner, so beyond trying to become a better runner, I'm also still learning to love it.
Some super sweet perks that accompany my new lifestyle are:
-I get to eat tons of carbs. In fact, I have to eat tons of carbs in order to sustain myself on long run days. Don't get me wrong, I don't count massive baskets of salty, greasy, and completely perfect french fries as a good carb. I do my best to consume only complex carbs, meaning lots of whole grains. Although, it is good to know that I can partake in a fry or two and not have to worry about how I'm going to burn that baby off.
- Lots of time to listen to music. I don't always listen to my ipod when I run, but there are definitely days when a girl needs a little bumpin' bass to get those legs moving. I've found some very unlikely sources of pump-up action, such as: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes, and one of my favorites, "So Fresh and So Clean" by Outkast. I've also got a lot of the Black Keys, Kanye West, some Foo Fighters, the White Stripes and a little Michael Jackson for those days when the sun is shinin' just right. Consider this a shout out to my brotha' Matty for suggesting that I create a real motivating playlist for long runs. Thanks to him, I have some totally killer playlists with names such as "ballin'" and "don't stop."
(P.S. Any other suggestions? Rachel loves new music)
- AMAZING tan lines. I'm talkin' short lines, sock lines, and varying shapes of tank tops and sports bras.
- Huge muscles. I mean....huge. (Just kidding. Soon though fo' sho')
Those are just a few. And there are more serious ones like having a healthier body, getting tons of fresh air, and learning that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought. Just over six months ago, I probably wouldn't have been able to list very many perks. That's a little something they call progress.
So that's the scoop.
Thanks, Dad, for suggesting this whole blogging thing....this was fun!
Today I will run six miles. It's looking quite sunny outside and I must beat that Colorado summertime heat!
I suppose I'm a bit late in starting this blog. I'm almost two weeks into a 4 month training program. So let me catch you up because I know you're waiting breathlessly...
Officially, training started on Monday, July 5th. Last week consisted of two three mile runs, one five mile run, one nine mile run and a cross-training day. Each week, I have two rest days. It is recommended that I run even on rest days, even if it's just a short two miler. Cross-training happens once a week, on Thursday, and those days are sort of like recess. You get to take a little break from doing the same thing over and over and over. Last week, I went for a bike ride and did a little strength training. Swimming also counts, so on really hot Thursdays perhaps I will do a couple bitchin' flips out of a tree right into the oh-so-chilly Boulder Creek.
The ultimate goal is to run the Marine Marathon in Washington D.C. on October 31st. All of this started because my boyfriend, Jamie, mentioned the fact that his Dad suggested running this race to celebrate the official end of Jamie's eight year obligation to the U.S. Marine Corps. Jamie asked if I was in, and after a split second of deep thought and consideration, I committed. So not only is Jamie an amazing source of inspiration to me, he is also my "coach." He sometimes jokes that he can be "Sergeant Curran" during those times when I need a little push on long runs. Those are the times when I deliver a swift kick to his shin to remind him that those jokes aren't funny to a girl who is huffing and puffing on some stinkin' trail in the blazing hot sun working towards mile five. (Just kidding. There is no kicking involved. A good old fashioned evil eye usually gets the point across.) Seriously though, Jamie is very encouraging and also very understanding of the fact that prior to this endeavor, I was most definitely not a runner, so beyond trying to become a better runner, I'm also still learning to love it.
Some super sweet perks that accompany my new lifestyle are:
-I get to eat tons of carbs. In fact, I have to eat tons of carbs in order to sustain myself on long run days. Don't get me wrong, I don't count massive baskets of salty, greasy, and completely perfect french fries as a good carb. I do my best to consume only complex carbs, meaning lots of whole grains. Although, it is good to know that I can partake in a fry or two and not have to worry about how I'm going to burn that baby off.
- Lots of time to listen to music. I don't always listen to my ipod when I run, but there are definitely days when a girl needs a little bumpin' bass to get those legs moving. I've found some very unlikely sources of pump-up action, such as: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes, and one of my favorites, "So Fresh and So Clean" by Outkast. I've also got a lot of the Black Keys, Kanye West, some Foo Fighters, the White Stripes and a little Michael Jackson for those days when the sun is shinin' just right. Consider this a shout out to my brotha' Matty for suggesting that I create a real motivating playlist for long runs. Thanks to him, I have some totally killer playlists with names such as "ballin'" and "don't stop."
(P.S. Any other suggestions? Rachel loves new music)
- AMAZING tan lines. I'm talkin' short lines, sock lines, and varying shapes of tank tops and sports bras.
- Huge muscles. I mean....huge. (Just kidding. Soon though fo' sho')
Those are just a few. And there are more serious ones like having a healthier body, getting tons of fresh air, and learning that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought. Just over six months ago, I probably wouldn't have been able to list very many perks. That's a little something they call progress.
So that's the scoop.
Thanks, Dad, for suggesting this whole blogging thing....this was fun!
Today I will run six miles. It's looking quite sunny outside and I must beat that Colorado summertime heat!
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